" 6 AM Sunday Morning, and it's hot.  I'm dying to turn on the air conditioning but decide against it, waiting for those mid August days when I'll need it to survive.  And so, surrounded by the heat, my shirt clinging to the light beads of sweat on my back, I sit down in front of the computer with a steaming cup of coffee (?) and place my bulky mid-70s issue headphones around my ears, hoping to cool off by taking a dip in an album titled; The Pacific Ocean.

The first thing that strikes me about this piece of music is that it sounds as if parts of it were recorded outside, (impressive since the production is crystal clear throughout).  My mind keeps picturing a roaring fire in the woods, the gentle sound of crickets chirping in the late afternoon, watching the sun as it extinguishes itself on the horizon, and of course, I imagine gazing out at the wide blue green expanse of the Pacific.  

Sam sings in a voice that reminds me slightly of Love's Bryan MacLean, yet with a deeper timbre, and a much better ability to keep in tune, however - there is an undeniable 'quivering emotion' that bubbles up from under the surface and this singing style in conjunction with the excellence of the lyrics casts all of the songs on this album in a light that I would describe as - honest poetry.  "Concerning a Duel" is a perfect example of this; 'My best friend killed me with one perfect bullet.  I saw the sky, I saw the sky living... as I died."  It's as if the words are scrolling across a large movie screen... yet slowly, so that the viewer has time to absorb all that has been said, take it in, digest it, - and then anticipate what might come next.  Captivating.

"Our Separate Ways" is a song that spoke directly to me, I have lived it, as I'm sure many have, and the tastefully played, wonderfully melodic use of piano really serves to underscore the inherent truth of what is being said.  A beautiful and moving song that deals with feelings often not discussed yet always in the back of our minds.  

I am very much impressed by the way in which different instruments weave in and out of the sound picture, and that the chords used here are all well chosen, never sounding overly simplistic or overly complex.  Some of the songs extend past the five minute mark yet never once do I find my attention straying from the music, I sit transfixed - focused - completely absorbed by what I hear, and always... that hypnotic voice takes center stage.  The vocals, or more specifically - 'the words' are the most important piece of this puzzle and rightfully so, they are without question brilliant from the first to the last.  

There's something heartwarming about the album, it does not have what I would describe as a 'joyous' sound, and still - now that it has finished, I feel refreshed, lucky to have experienced it.  The way you feel after meeting someone for the first time and after that first encounter, for whatever reason, you somehow have the inner knowledge that the friendship will last a lifetime.  A connection has been made that causes you to smile and look forward to what the future will bring."

5/5 - Seabelt @ rateyourmusic.com